Forgetting Tabitha: An Orphan Train Rider (11 page)

I thought of Karen and Tommy then. I wished I could go back to them without putting them in danger of the Roaches who would look for me if and when I didn’t show up. I wondered if they were safe and feared that if Tommy was caught by these thugs and forced to fight he would surely lose. Tommy was all talk; inside he was just a fearful kid trying to get by one day at a time like the rest of us.

I climbed down, taking my time and finding my way out of the now dark but always dank building. I made my way across town and finally found the brewery that housed the Roaches and went directly to Pauli’s office.

“Where the hell were you? Huh, you fucking punk?” The greasy guy who helped Pauli was raving mad.

“I asked you a question, you little shit, you better speak up.” He had crossed the room and grabbed me by my shirt collar.

“Jesus, Squid, you’re gonna scare the shit out of the kid, let him go.” Pauli interjected.

“I found them.” That’s all I had to say before the goons released me and were told to get me something to eat.

After I ate, I recounted everything I saw right down to the blood stained floors.

“Come with me kid.” Pauli led me to a section of the factory that I hadn’t been in before.

He pushed open a large metal door and I was hit immediately by the stench of body odor and blood. I looked around and saw a gym that was similar to the one the Rabbits used to train. This gym had a punching bag and another smaller bag that I later learned was a speed bag. Several squares were taped off on the floor and free weights, jump ropes, and other equipment I didn’t recognize lay in piles.

Fighters were in the midst of training. It was a smaller number of kids but because this gym also had five trainers the boys got more personal attention. Here they not only focused on offensive training but on defensive training, ducking the punch, bobbing and weaving, and dancing around the floor. These fighters looked lighter on their feet, although I was no expert.

“Tell me, what do you see? What are the differences between their gym and mine?” Pauli nudged me forward.

“I think you have more stuff, like that small bag over there, they don’t have that.” I looked around for more differences.

“That’s called a speed bag kid. It helps develop your rhythm and give you quick hands.”

“You have fewer rings, they have four marked off. You only have two.” I wasn’t sure if that mattered but it was a difference.

“You also have fewer kids in training but the ones you have seem stronger. Their kids look like they’re hungry but I mean they really look starved. I swear I could count their ribs if I was close enough.”

“Hmmm, they must have a new group fresh off the streets. They round up kids and offer them protection if they’ll fight. Then they feed them when they win and starve them when they don’t.”

“Well I think your guys would win, if the fight was now that is.” I hesitated to tell him what I was thinking.

“Go on kid.” Pauli encouraged me to tell more.

“Well, they have five trainers and they are tough, they never even looked tired after sparring. I think they might be in better shape than some of your trainers.”

Pauli looked around the room. Several of his trainers were carrying extra weight around the middle and that ended today.

“Okay kid, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to make a list of all my guys and trainers and tomorrow you’re going back over there.”

I flinched at the thought and Pauli saw this.

“I only need you to spy once in a while, before a big fight. I have a lot riding on our next fight. It’s in ten weeks and we stand to either make a lot of money or lose a lot of money. Understand?”

“What am I supposed to do over there?” I asked, fumbling with my coat button.

“I want you to take our list and make some physical notations about each of their guys, are they lefty, do they have a strong right, how is the defense , who is quick, who is slow, who could knock us out in one punch. Got it?” he asked, waiting for my reply.

“I think so. But how does this help you?” I wondered out loud.

“You leave that to me, kid, once I know their strengths and weaknesses I can better prepare my team.”

Pauli had softened a bit, he told me I did a good job and set me up with a cot and blanket in a room far away from the gambling scene.

In the morning I woke up and pissed off the window ledge before heading to the other side of town. I took my time, checked my back to make sure no one was following me when finally the collapsing building was in view. I watched the building for activity before sneaking towards the entrance. No one was in sight; it was quiet. I snuck in and made my way through the narrow hallway until I reached the rafters. I hunkered down and waited. I waited for hours until anything happened and my stomach was already growling from hunger. I didn’t get breakfast from Pauli who was still asleep when I left and couldn’t beg any on my way over. I checked garbage cans but only found last night’s vomit and watery shit on the streets, which did not inspire my appetite.

After too many hours several kids came into the gym. They were already sweating and it appeared they had been running. A few of them were holding their stomachs as if they had cramps and one was puking in a bucket.

“Damn, five miles before noon. That’s harsh, man.” It was the red headed kid who puked and complained. He was scrawny, but tall, five feet, eight inches, maybe a buck ten.

“Quit your bitching before I get you a skirt you pansy.” A short dark skinned kid who I didn’t recognize from last night whipped him with a towel.

The group stood around waiting and finally one of last night’s trainers walked in.

“Time to spar, fellas.” He matched the boys into pairs and had them going in two of the four rings.

The red headed kid was lanky and his arms had a long reach. He didn’t look strong but when he punched his opponent with his left, the kid stumbled. I wrote this down.

The kid with the darker skin was slow. He had no footwork and kept his hands up in defense exposing his body. I wrote this down too.

The ink from the steel pen Pauli gave me tickled my nose. I stifled a sneeze but before I could stop myself I let out another one. All the fighters stopped what they were doing and looked around. I shrunk further into the corner and prayed.

The trainer looked around the gym and gathered the boys closer to him. They all dispersed and I thought I got lucky. Then I realized the trainer sent them to investigate the sneeze. I heard footsteps climbing the rafters and pissed myself.

“Gotcha.” The red headed boy pulled me up from my crouch and dragged me down the short set of stairs throwing me in front of his trainer.

“Well, well. What do we have here? Search him boys.” The boys patted me down and found nothing. I was smart enough to hide my notes under a wooden slat in my hide out.

“Who are you and what the fuck are you doing here?” The trainer asked with venom.

“I jjjust didn’t have anywhere to go.” I hoped my prior excuse with Pauli would hold up.

“You really expect me to believe that shit, kid? Someone’s been feeding you. My guess is you’re spying.” He wiped his brow.

“No, I swear, I am not spying, I don’t know where to go, the gangs, they are getting bad. I found the building and snuck in, that’s all.” Before I could continue the trainer started using me as a punching bag.

“Well as long as you’re here now, I guess we’ll just have to use you as our punching bag today.” He started on my body.

Then the red headed boy stepped in and the trainer watched as he lunged at my face. I ducked several, but with his friends cheering him on he went at me hard, landing several uppercuts to my chin, and busting my lip wide open. I doubled over in pain but the boy didn’t stop. He went for my ribs and I fell to the floor in agony.

Next up a scrawny little kid, maybe six or seven started kicking my back numerous times before stepping over my body and kicking me right in the balls making me nauseous instantly. He had absolutely no remorse and I thought if any of them did, it would be him. The rest of the boys all got their turn with me. I stood back up and tried against one or two of them. They laughed at me and my piss stain. I had no training and was not in shape. I could taste my blood and for a minute I felt vengeful and attacked with flailing arms but this only made them laugh harder at me. Next thing I knew I was in the ring with four kids bouncing me between them and then it was lights out.

I was in and out of consciousness all night, when I finally came to I was petrified. I didn’t recognize where I was but it was inside someone’s house. I could hear snoring and the place reeked of booze. I tried to stand up but it hurt just to breathe. I was sure I had broken ribs among other things. I forced myself to sit upright and stripped the sheet off the bed, tied it around my waist for support and stood up. I wobbled.

Out of nowhere I hear someone say, “Where the fuck do you think you’re going, dipshit?”

I must have been knocked out again because when I woke up next the five trainers were staring me down.

They pulled me up and out of bed against my protests. I had dried blood everywhere from my mouth, to my ears, to my nose, my balls were swollen, and walking was nearly impossible.

They dragged me back to the infamous gym that I had become familiar with yesterday and centered me amongst them.

“Now you’re going to tell us what the fuck you’re doing here, aren’t you?” One trainer with bulging biceps stepped forward before landing a punch right to my gut, knocking the wind out of me.

“Stop, please.” I cried like a baby

“We don’t stop until you tell the truth.” Trainer number two stepped up with a right hook to my jaw that sent several of my teeth flying and blood gushing from my mouth.

They tied my hands behind my back and kept on going, taking their turn landing punches over my already broken body.

“Tell us!” someone screamed.

I refused to give in. They could kill me if they wanted but I knew if I told them about Pauli I was as good as dead anyway.

My eyes were so swollen I could no longer see, I fell to the ground, so they took turns holding me up while others continued to beat me. I passed out and woke up while a new group of kids, some scrawny, some well into their training began to assault me all over again, a lesson, I suppose, against mercy.

I was dragged unconscious to the bed I slept in the night before and again woke to the smell of my own piss and the group of trainers peering over me.

“What are we gonna do with you, huh?” One asked.

“We could beat you to death I suppose.” Another answered with a throaty laugh.

“Just to be fair, let’s give you one more chance.” The trainer held up a knife presumably for inspiration. I thought for sure he was going to take off my ears.

My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls, I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in two days and the blood pooled and drained into my stomach making me nauseous.

“Need a drink?” One of the trainers held up a glass of water and I felt gratitude until he splashed the water into my face forcing me to jerk back in pain.

They dragged me back to the gym and repeated the beatings; I passed out numerous times because the pain was too great to handle. Everything felt broken, everything but my spirit. I went to a place in my mind, a square shaped room that was quiet and red and had a metal chair in the corner. I sat in that chair and plotted my revenge. I listened to the sound of the assailants’ voices as they pummeled me and committed them to memory; I noted their accents and what they called each other. This quiet place was mine. They could hit me over and over but it was still there and they couldn’t take it from me. I sat in my corner; I took the punches, the kicks, the broken bones, the gushing blood, the puss and gunk that pooled in the corners of my mouth and eyes. I listened. I took it and waited.

The next time I woke, I tried desperately to sit up and gather myself. Although I hadn’t had any nourishment or drink in days I had to piss. It nearly killed me to sit up and I let out a yelp.

“Hey, kid, sit back down.” It was Pauli.

I sat back down and tried to open my eyes but they were still swollen shut. I tried to talk but my jaw wasn’t working and I felt metal in my mouth.

“Let me do the talking for now kid. You’re damn lucky to be alive, you know that?” Pauli sat next to the bed his voice sounding tired and worried.

“Remember Squid, the guy who found you lurking in the brewery? Well he found you near dead in a ditch across town. He was out recruiting and I’ll be damned if I know how but he recognized you. He ran all the way back here and swore you were breathing so we sent out our guys and they brought you back. That was three days ago.”

I tried to mumble a reply but it was no good.

“All you’re going to do right now is heal. My wife is looking after you.” I could hardly believe Pauli had a wife.

“She is good at this so let her okay?” with that he patted my leg and left, was it remorse I heard in his voice?

I slept for the better part of the day but woke to the gentle stroke of a warm cloth across my forehead.